Ogles Defeats Campbell, Amendment One Passes in Landslide

The mayor of Maury County won his bid for U.S. Congress by a wide margin Tuesday night, defeating State Senator Heidi Campbell (D-District 20) in Tennessee’s newly-drawn 5th District.

Ogles’s race, which was called just after midnight on Wednesday morning, showed the first-time congressional candidate winning 55.9 percent of the vote, to Campbell’s 42.3 percent of the vote. 

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Senate Bill on Budget Includes Details on the Proposed Virginia Redistricting Commission

As part of the Senate’s bill for the biennial budget, one amendment offers details and more specifics on the proposed Virginia Redistricting Commission. 

Included in the budget amendment item 4-14 is eligibility criteria for citizen commission members, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and public participation in the redistricting process. 

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Speaker-Elect Glen Casada: It’s My Job To Find Conservatives And Let Them Lead

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Speaker-Elect Glen Casada says that as Speaker, his job is “to find the strong conservatives, put them in the right committee, and let them lead.”  Casada’s statement was made to a group of middle Tennessee activists in response to a question about the key things he wants to focus on during session. Casada easily won the nomination of the House GOP caucus for the Speaker’s position last month. The formal election for Speaker and Speaker Pro- Tempore will be held when the Tennessee General Assembly convenes in January. The House Republican Caucus Bylaws require that members vote for the nominated Speaker and Speaker Pro-Tem Elect, or be automatically expelled from the Caucus. With a Republican super majority in the House, holding 73 of the 99 seats, Casada’s election as Speaker of the 111th General Assembly is a virtual certainty. During this interim period he is generally referred to as “Speaker-Elect,” though he could also be called the “Presumptive Speaker.” The group, Nashville Sentinels, organized around the Heritage Action For Action (HAFA) model and is spear-headed by longtime Nashville Republican Ed Smith. The Nashville Sentinels meet monthly and at its February meeting then Majority Leader Casada spoke to…

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Nashville Fraternal Order of Police: Proposed Amendment One Not Constitutional

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Members of the Nashville Fraternal Order of the Police said Tuesday they have serious constitutional concerns about the proposed Amendment One. If voters approve it next month then city officials would create a community oversight board over the police. Former FOP President Robert Weaver spoke for the organization at a press conference at the Nashville Metro Courthouse late Tuesday. “There are several aspects of this legislation that are constitutionally questionable. There are issues we have (with this proposed amendment) that don’t address due process,” Weaver said. “It appears this board is not set up for fact finding and truth finding. It appears this board is set up for some means of retaliation and retribution for a problem that doesn’t seem to exist.” Weaver said this plan, if enacted, will waste $10 million taxpayer dollars. He called the proposed board “redundant” because there are other means for redress against the police already available in Nashville. “You already have the ability to file a complaint with an officer’s supervisor. You have the ability to file with the district attorney’s office, the US attorney’s office, or the TBI and the FBI. There is even recourse through civil courts if you…

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